Students torch vehicles to protest fellow scholar’s death

LUCKNOW - Students of a private engineering college in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad district Wednesday went on a rampage and torched three college buses and several private vehicles to protest the death of a fellow scholar.

Hundreds of students of the United Engineering College, in Allahabad Industrial Area, also indulged in brick-batting during the series of violent protests blaming the college authorities for the death of a B.Tech fourth year student Sanjay Gupta.

Gupta, who developed some infection in one of his legs, died Tuesday while being taken to a hospital by his friends. He was not well for the past several weeks, police said.

Students alleged that despite Gupta’s repeated requests, the college authorities did not sanction his leave and he was forced to attend the college which eventually led to his death. They are demanding removal of the college principal.

“The situation is still tense but under control now. Heavy security arrangements have been made in the wake of the violent protests,” police inspector Ajay Seth told reporters in Allahabad, some 200 km from Lucknow.

“Besides demanding removal of the principal, the students also want the college authorities to refund the entire fee of the deceased to his family,” he added.

Gupta, 25, was a resident of the Ambedkar Nagar district and lived in a private lodge near the college.